Partition of Indian Subcontinent: A Thought-Provoking Outcome of the Prevailing “Anachronistic” Approach to Religion instead of “Modern”

Abstract

Understanding of the holocaust event, ‘Partition of Indian Subcontinent’(1947) still appears  a problematic chapter to deal with  even after  more than seven decades of  the holocaust event not only for millions of  Indians and Pakistanis but for many in abroad too.  The momentous event still continues to tantalize    many   historians, writers, researchers and scholars at present day context even. Reading history is not enough to understand this event of great vastness. Literary representation of Partition also plays a significant role in this regard.  The cataclysmic event has been documented in a wide range of literary genres -fictions, non-fictions, poetry, memoirs, oral history etc., published in multiple languages in many countries. All the writers try to capture   the most harrowing scenes of the turbulent period of   history as per their immensity of   experiences and meticulous observation.  Besides many reasons responsible for the Partition,   the underlying  ‘anachronistic’ approach  to ‘religion’ is noticed as the most  prominent one in resulting the thought-provoking disaster  of 1947. The present paper seeks to explore ‘the’ least attended aspect but ‘the’ most important   reason of the holocaust i.e. the prevailing anachronistic approach to “religion” instead of “modern” with special reference to Brent Nonbri’s idea of  “modern concept” of an  “ancient( traditional)” notion of “religion.”